1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electric connector assembly for connecting electric wires and more particularly, to an electric connector with a terminal, wherein abrasion of electric contact points due to small vibration friction does not arise.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electric connector assembly is often used in such circumstances as motor vehicle or the like, wherein vibration acts on the electric connector assembly. In such a case, since small vibration friction could arise at electric contact points between an electric connector and a mating electric connector, the contact points would abrade and, therefore, electrical resistance at the contact points would increases.
Therefore, an electric connector capable of preventing such abrasion due to small vibration friction has been proposed. For example, FIG. 4 shows a prior art terminal xcex2 for an electric connector disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-189102 (hereinafter JP ""102).
This terminal xcex2 is accommodated in a terminal accommodating chamber of a connector housing, thereby making up an electric connector, and consists of a electrical contact section 1 provided for connecting with a terminal (not shown) of a mating electric connector and a wire connection section 2 provided for fixing an electric wire. The wire connection section 2 has a conductor crimping portion 21 and a cover crimping portion 22.
The terminal xcex2 is made by punching a sheet material and by bending it, as is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. The electrical contact section 1 is in a box-like shape and has an elastic contact piece 12 therein supported by a linking portion 11.
FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view, taken along a line Axe2x80x94A in FIG. 4, of the prior art terminal. The elastic contact piece 12 is electrically connected with a terminal (not shown) of a mating electric connector at contact portions 12a and 12b. 
As described above, since the elastic contact piece 12 is supported by the box-like portion of the terminal xcex2 only by means of the linking portion 11, small vibration friction between the contact portions 12a and 12b and the terminal of the mating electric connector would be prevented.
With respect to the above terminal xcex2 of JP ""102, however, though the above structure with the linking portion 11 exhibits the vibration absorbing effect in b-direction (vertical direction) and c-direction (lateral direction) shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the effect is not exhibited in a-direction (longitudinal direction) shown in FIG. 4. Specifically, the elastic contact piece 12 rotatively vibrates about the linking portion 11, as shown in FIG. 7. And, strictly speaking, since the elastic contact piece 12 rotates vertically (in the b-direction) about the linking portion 11, the mating terminal (a tab portion) 9 is apt to be hit by the elastic contact piece 12, thereby causing abrasion of the mating terminal. That is, since the vibration absorbing effect is incomplete in the above structure, the small vibration friction has not been solved.
On the other hand, FIGS. 8A and 8B are longitudinal sectional views showing typical conventional locking methods of a terminal to a connector housing. A terminal xcex2 in FIG. 8A is locked, at the end of a box-like electrical contact section, by an elastic lance 41xe2x80x2 provided on a connector housing 4xe2x80x2, and a terminal xcex2xe2x80x2 in FIG. 8B is locked by engaging an elastic engaging piece 19, projecting from a electrical contact section, with a step portion 41xe2x80x3 provided in a connector housing 4xe2x80x3.
Since the electrical contact sections of the terminals xcex2,xcex2xe2x80x2 are directly put into contact with the connector housings 4xe2x80x2,4xe2x80x3, vibration of the connector housings 4xe2x80x2,4xe2x80x3 is propagated to the electrical contact sections. Therefore, small vibration friction or hitting movement between mating terminals (not shown) and the electrical contact sections would arise and abrasion of the electrical contact sections would arise.
In view of the foregoing, an object of the present invention is to provide an electric connector with a terminal wherein abrasion of electric contact points due to small vibration friction does not arise and, more particularly, to provide an electric connector with a terminal wherein, in a vibrating state of connector housing, small vibration friction in a terminal longitudinal direction can be prevented and simultaneously abrasion of the terminal due to vertical vibration (i.e. in a thickness direction of a tab portion of the terminal) can be still surely prevented.
In order to achieve the above-described object, as a first aspect of the present invention, an electric connector includes: a first electric connector having a connector housing in which a terminal accommodating chamber is formed; a second electric connector with a second terminal; a first terminal to be accommodated in the connector housing and to be connected with an electric wire; an electrical contact section provided on the first terminal and having a contact piece to be electrically connected with the second terminal; a wire connection section provided on the first terminal for connecting an electric wire; and a space provided between the electrical contact section and an inner surface of the terminal accommodating chamber for allowing relative movement between the electrical contact section and the connector housing, whereby abrasion, caused by vibration, of contact points of the first and second terminals and increase of electrical resistance at the contact points do not arise.
According to the above-described structure, since the electrical contact section does not vibrate even in case that the connector housing vibrates in a direction perpendicular to the terminal connection direction, small vibration friction (hitting abrasion) between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented, thereby preventing poor contact of the terminals or an increase of electrical resistance.
As a second aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the space is formed by making a step between a bottom of the electrical contact section and a bottom of the wire connection section.
According to the above-described structure, the conventional connector housing can be utilized, thereby saving the cost.
As a third aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the first terminal is provided with an elastic vibration-absorbing portion between the electrical contact section and the wire connection section.
According to the above-described structure, since the electrical contact section can independently move relatively to the wire connection section, abrasion of the contact portions of the terminals can be surely prevented.
As a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the wire connection section is provided with an engaging portion for preventing the first terminal form coming out of the terminal accommodating chamber.
According to the above-described structure, since the wire connection section is fixed to the connector housing and the electrical contact section is free in the space, propagation of vibration toward the electrical contact section can be surely prevented.
As a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above third aspect, the elastic vibration-absorbing portion has an elasticity in a terminal connection-disconnection direction.
According to the above-described structure, since the vibration-absorbing portion can absorb vibration in the terminal connection-disconnection direction, small vibration friction between the terminal and the mating terminal can be prevented, thereby preventing poor contact of the terminals or an increase of electrical resistance.
As a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above first aspect, the electrical contact section is provided with the contact piece by means of an elastic linking portion.
As a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above sixth aspect, the electrical contact section has a rectangular tube portion and the linking portion links the rectangular tube portion and the contact piece.
According to the structure with above sixth or seventh aspect, since the contact piece can rotate about the linking portion, small vibration friction of the terminal can be still surely prevented.
As an eighth aspect of the present invention, a terminal includes: an electrical contact section having a contact piece to be electrically connected with a mating terminal; a wire connection section for connecting an electric wire; and a step formed between a bottom of the electrical contact section and a bottom of the wire connection section, wherein the bottom of the electrical contact section is positioned nearer a longitudinal axis of the terminal than the bottom of the wire connection section.
According to the above-described structure, since the space is formed by means of the step, the same effect as that of the structure with the above first aspect can be attained when the terminal is set in the connector housing.
As a ninth aspect of the present invention, a terminal includes: an electrical contact section having a contact piece to be electrically connected with a mating terminal; a wire connection section for connecting an electric wire; and an elastic vibration-absorbing portion provided between the electrical contact section and the wire connection section.
As a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the structure with the above eighth aspect, an elastic vibration-absorbing portion is provided between the electrical contact section and the wire connection section.
According to the structure with above ninth or tenth aspect, the same effect as that of the structure with the above third or fifth aspect can be attained when the terminal is set in the connector housing.
As a whole, according to the above-described structures of the present invention, even though the connector housing vibrates, propagation of the vibration to the contact piece is prevented. Since small vibration friction between the contact portions of the contact piece and the mating terminal of the mating electric connector can be prevented, abrasion of the contact points of the terminals can be prevented even under circumstances of vibration and, therefore, an increase of electrical resistance at the contact points can be prevented.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.